Breaking Barriers: The Opportunities and Challenges of Women in Educational Leadership in Balochistan
These days, when we are heading to the 21st century, in the era of globalization and the world changing drastically, women are also playing their role in every sphere of life and making their place in society. Pakistani women also take positions in every area of work, like health, politics, and education, as well as higher-level administrative and leadership positions. This study focuses on the opportunities and challenges faced by women leaders at the Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) in Quetta. It is primarily exploratory and descriptive, utilizing the qualitative approach. In-depth individual interviews were used to collect the data for this research, followed by semi-structured interview patterns using a purposive sampling technique from women leaders of HEIs in Quetta City. Family, education, societal, and organizational culture were discussed to highlight the challenges, opportunities, and barriers to women leaders. Hence, the primary target of this research is to document the lived experiences of women leaders, emphasizing the distinguished sociocultural challenges that women leaders face in Quetta and the way they can overcome them and achieve their leadership positions in this male-dominating society. Conclusions drawn from this study are in a storyline article with circumstantial explanations and direct quotes from research participants. Findings are pivotal for women seeking academic careers to pave their way toward senior leadership positions and increase their representation in academic management.